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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24328828">Moving Metal (Acceleracers)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRainRogue/pseuds/TheRainRogue'>TheRainRogue</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Acceleracers, Hot Wheels (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Comedy, F/M, Family, Friendship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 05:56:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,196</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24328828</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRainRogue/pseuds/TheRainRogue</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jae Wesley is thrust into becoming an Acceleracer in order to help stop the drones from taking over the world. What she thought would be a fun, high octane thrill ride ended up being a dangerous journey of self-discovery as she is forced to face her past. She struggles to find the true meaning of family and finds herself not knowing who to trust. Relationships will be put to the test in this new world of evil and nitro filled highs.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Highway 35</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Moving Metal was started several years ago when I was completely obsessed with Acceleracers and watched the movies like a thousand times. I re-live that even now when I watch them! While this story does follow the plot line, I have added a few original moments to go with the backstory of the main character though.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><ul>
<li>
<strong>Genre</strong>: Comedy, Friendship ☁</li>
<li>
<strong>Word Count</strong>: 1,728 ☁</li>
<li>
<strong>Pairing</strong>: ?? ☁</li>
<li>
<strong>World</strong>: Other, Acceleracers ☁</li>
</ul><hr/><p>I stared at the passing scenery of the coast road, mouthing the lyrics to the song filling my right ear. The left was empty in case Taro had something to say. It wasn’t very likely, seeing as he’s the quiet type. I’d rather not take my chances though – the last time I listened to music and he tried to talk to me, he got so annoyed that he broke my music player. Getting him to buy me a new one took a lot of convincing and even took getting our leader involved to guilt him into doing it. Thank you, Tork!</p><p>I glanced over at Taro before moving my eyes to his window. From the way he was driving, the view of the ocean was on his side of the car while I got to stare at a large rock formation. I offered to drive just for that reason, but Taro isn’t too keen on letting other people drive his car. Or sit on it. Or touch it in general, really.</p><p>My eyes shifted to the side mirror where Monkey’s car, Rolling Thunder, was close behind us. A few feet behind him was our infamous leader, Tork. He’s the king of the show tonight, taking on the leader of our rivals, the Teku. To be honest, no matter who wins, it’s not going to take away the anger Nolo has for our leader. Long story short, Tork raced Nolo’s older brother a while back. Nolo’s brother got cocky and made a mistake. The price? His life.</p><p>Ever since then, Tork has been hiding feelings of guilt and doubt. On the other hand, Nolo goes out of his way to show his hatred for Tork. Kinda pisses me off, but I’m always told to stay out of it.</p><p>“Hey,” Taro smacked my arm. “Turn that off, we’re almost there.”</p><p>A small patch of land stretched out from the road, overlooking the water. All of the Teku drivers were there, waiting for us to arrive. Well, I assume they’re waiting, though it seems more like they’re having a party.</p><p>With a scowl, I shove my music player into the pocket of my hoodie just as Taro comes to a stop on the side of the road, Monkey right behind. As we stepped out of his car, it became apparent that there was some serious tension between Nolo and one of his members, Vert.</p><p>Despite being on the rival team, I was actually pretty cool with Vert. Taro would never admit it nor act like it, but he also has nothing against the blonde teen.</p><p>“Hey! Are you Teku here to race, or to fight?” Taro called. It was soon followed by the screeching of tires as Tork made his entrance. Nolo’s attention immediately went to him. Even if I didn’t know about the rivalry, the head-turning really wouldn’t surprise me.</p><p>The Metal Maniacs are full of huge, burly guys with the exception of myself – since I’m a chick – and Monkey – since he’s a twig. However, Tork is the largest of the group. When I first met him, I actually thought he was going to kill me.</p><p>He stepped out of the car and the two leaders stared each other down. It was pretty typical, really. I moved to sit on the hood of Taro’s Road Runner, checking my watch for the time. I knew that Mark had to be on his way up here even though we made sure that no one told him about the race tonight. It’s not that he’s a bad driver or that we hate him, it’s just…</p><p>Well, to put it simply, Mark is a lot like Nolo. He has a grudge that he won’t let go and it fuels him to make bad decisions. Plus Mark is like a wild lion, there’s no taming him OR telling him what to do. He just won’t listen to reason.</p><p>After a few more minutes passed, Taro shooed me off his car and the two leaders lined up to begin the race. Monkey had a light device to let them know when to start and he was also in charge of making sure the road was clear of pedestrian drivers. Street racing is always fun, but when you add civilians to the mix… well, it can get pretty messy.</p><p>A car zoomed past Monkey at break-neck speed, squealing to a stop between Nolo’s car and Tork’s. Mark had arrived and he was pissed.</p><p>“Why didn’t you tell me we were taking on the Teku?”</p><p>Tork didn’t spare him a glance, used to the younger man’s antics. “Me against Nolo. That’s how we handle it.” He moved his car forward, but that didn’t stop Mark from yelling after him.</p><p>“I want ‘em, Tork, I want ’em all! You knew that from the start!”</p><p>I sighed, shoving my hands into my pockets. “You know he’s gonna cause a problem, right?”</p><p>Taro didn’t respond, so I sighed again and headed over to where Vert was leaning against his own car, the Deora II. The other Teku glared at me as I came closer and I could feel Taro staring at my back. He didn’t approve of my friendliness with Vert for obvious reasons, but he never said anything about it, either.</p><p>I could tell Vert was annoyed that he wasn’t the one racing, but he offered me a smile anyway. I leaned next to him close to the road and threw him a grin. “So, who’s gonna win?”</p><p>He held back a grin of his own. “The Teku for sure.”</p><p>“Hmm, I dunno. Tork’s pretty good. Plus – ” I paused, staring at Mark sitting in his Spinebuster. “ – I don’t think this race will end how anyone expects it will.”</p><p>He looked at me questioningly but was quickly distracted when the race finally began.</p><p>Just as predicted, Mark swung his car around and took off after them. Taro yelled his name but it was swallowed by the sound of roaring engines and squealing tires echoing off the rocks. I caught his eye and he shook his head, climbing into his vehicle.</p><p>I patted Vert’s shoulder. “You might wanna follow.”</p><p>Again, he sent me a questioning look but didn’t say anything as I ran back to Taro, climbing into the passenger seat as the engine roared to life. Monkey and the other Teku followed suit, sensing that something wasn’t right.</p><p>We reached the site of the crash fairly quickly. Nolo’s car was sitting on top of some rocks, while Tork’s was half on the guardrail and half on the road. Seeing the guardrail broken a ways down, I rushed after Monkey to the side of the cliff to see Mark’s car dangling from his grappling hook that was embedded in the rock.</p><p>“Wylde’s okay!” Monkey announced. “He’s cranking back up.”</p><p>I sighed in relief but stopped short when I finally noticed the small floating machine in the middle of the road. I guessed it was the cause for Mark crashing… but what in the world even is it?</p><p>Kurt and Vert approached it. Vert addressed it. “What are you doing here?”</p><p>“Dr. Tezla needs you.” It spoke.</p><p>“Oh really? What about after the World Race when we needed him to give us more Nitrox? He wouldn’t even talk to us!” Kurt sounded like a druggie that had gone too long without his fix. I found myself rolling my eyes before I even realized it.</p><p>Huh, maybe Mark’s hatred for his big brother is rubbing off on me.</p><p>“Dr. Tezla needed all the fuel for his research.” It spoke again.</p><p>“Well we wanted to go through the portals again – ” Vert didn’t sound angry like his teammate, just disappointed. “ – and race in Highway 35.”</p><p>I wasn’t around back then, but Taro and Mark had each told me stories about the infamous World Race on Highway 35. Apparently, it’s a race track in another dimension or something and this Tezla guy offered 35 racers a crap ton of money to get the wheel of power found at the end of the track. The story gets kinda fuzzy from there. Something about an evil woman, a spy, and robots built to race? I don’t know. I kinda dozed off during their recollection of the events past.</p><p>“No one can go through the portals now.” It explained. “Gelorum and her racing drones have taken the wheel of power.”</p><p>I stared at the thing blankly, not even blinking. Huh, so they were telling the truth. And here I thought they were just insane, or in Taro’s case, had too much to drink. I guess I owe them an apology… too bad Metal Maniacs don’t apologize. Ever.</p><p>Monkey, who stood on Taro’s left, moved closer. “Hey, Taro, What’s this wheel of power business? What does it mean?”</p><p>“Trouble,” Was all he said as he headed back to his car, motioning for me to follow. Since it’s always easier just to do as he says rather than not, I followed silently, sending glances over my shoulder as the woman from Teku started to talk to it. I was too far away by now to hear what was being said between them, but I was close enough to see Nolo throw a hissy fit.</p><p>“Give me a car!” He limped toward Kurt and Vert. “I want to finish this thing <b>tonight</b>!”</p><p>“There’s something we have to do, Nolo.” Vert sounded annoyed now, and honestly, who can blame him? Just look at his teammates, okay.</p><p>“What’s he talking about?!” Nolo screamed. I fought the urge to cringe. God, this kid is annoying. “Nothing’s more important than the Teku!”</p><p>“This is.” Kurt insisted, and with that, the Teku took off, leaving their leader in the middle of the road screaming his lungs out.</p><p>“Hey, Taro.” Monkey ran up to us as we made our way to the car. “You know this Tezla dude. Wylde told me he paid like millions of dollars to some of his drivers.”</p><p>Damn, do you know how much soda and anime I could buy with millions of dollars? Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.</p><p>Taro looked at him in disbelief. “<em>You’re</em> coming?”</p><p>“You think Tork would mind?” Monkey and I both looked at our leader who was punching his hood repeatedly and growling in frustration. We shared a look before scurrying after Taro. “Hey! Wait up, Taro!”</p><hr/><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Wheel of Power</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><ul>
<li>
<strong>Genre</strong>: Comedy, Friendship, Angst ☁</li>
<li>
<strong>Word Count</strong>: 3,366 ☁</li>
<li>
<strong>Pairing</strong>: ?? ☁</li>
<li>
<strong>World</strong>: Other, Acceleracers ☁</li>
</ul><hr/><p>Believe it or not, it took us a full day to reach Highway 35, and by the time we did, the sun was beginning to set. The sky was alive was dark red and orange, swirling together like an angry blaze. Sandstone covered the ground we drove on, kicking up dust something horrible. I had to roll up the window pretty quickly, all while ignoring the ‘I told you so’ look from Taro who had warned me about the window just an hour prior.</p><p>I turned up the AC because of how hot it was outside. The middle of summer in the desert at sundown. Can you imagine my struggle?</p><p>“Hey, Taro! Wylde’s here!” Monkey’s voice came over the radio, followed by loud coughs as said Maniac sped past us. Unfortunately, Monkey didn’t have the Taro warning system like I did and his window was down. “Hey! This isn’t a race!”</p><p>“It’s always a race.” Came Mark’s reply, making me resist the urge to slam my head against the dashboard. He really was impossible. He increased his speed, slamming his car into the female from Teku before hitting his brother’s car from behind. He quickly claimed the lead even though, as Monkey stated, it was not a race.</p><p>About ten minutes later, a building came into view. It was square, probably about three stories tall, and looked like it could fall apart with just a gust of wind. The walls barely covered the metal piping that held the building together.</p><p>A dark-skinned man with dreads stepped out of the shadows like some super villain, but when he spoke, his voice was something you’d expect from a hero. The man and Vert exchanged pleasantries.</p><p>“Vert. It’s been a long time.” The man had some type of accent, but I couldn’t place it for the life of me.</p><p>“Good to see you again.”</p><p>Monkey stepped forward. “Is that Tezla?”</p><p>I rested my forehead against Taro’s shoulder in place of a facepalm. I had been told the exact same stories that Monkey had and I knew that this man, whoever he may be, was definitely NOT Tezla.</p><p>“My name is Kadeem.” The man said with an air of pride. A few more notches North and it’ll border arrogance. “Who are you?”</p><p>“He’s just a freaky little Metal Maniac, Kadeem.” Kurt’s comment made both Taro and myself tense up and push away from the car.</p><p>I growled in annoyance. “Better a Maniac than a pansy Teku!”</p><p>“Yeah!” Mark agreed, slinging his tattooed arm over my shoulder. “Metal Maniacs are the best! Like me, Taro and Jae, huh?”</p><p>“Real drivers are Teku!” Kurt argued back.</p><p>“Let’s test that then, aye?” I cracked my knuckles as I stepped forward, daring him to move. The Metal Maniacs are multi-skilled, you see. Not only are we badass at driving, we’re damn skilled at beating the snot out of people.</p><p>Kadeem’s laugh broke through the tension. “Yes, I see how it is.”</p><p>He and Vert started to speak to one another, but I was too angry to care as Kurt an I stared each other down. He may be older than me, but I know I can beat him in a fight, and man did I want to beat his ass. I inched forward, but Taro grabbed the back of my shirt, pulling me back to our side and giving me a look that clearly stated ‘knock it off’. I scoffed in annoyance, shooting the Teku one last glare before looking away. The day will come when I can beat that prick’s ass, but today is clearly not that day.</p><p>“So, if this is so important, it must pay a lot. Right?” Monkey’s question caught my attention, seeing as how I want to know the answer as much as he does.</p><p>Kadeem only laughed in response.</p><p>“Is that a yes?”</p><p>His laughter grew louder.</p><p>I pinched the bridge of my nose. The horrid combination of heat, anger and now this guys laughter had finally weighed down on me, gracing me with a splitting headache I knew would be near impossible to get rid of. I barely registered Taro gently pushing me toward the passenger seat.</p><p>Though it doesn’t happen very often, sometimes I get overwhelmed and when I do, I get these crippling headaches that render me… well, pretty much useless. Taro has been there for most of them, so he knows what to expect by now.</p><p>When the pain finally subsided enough for me to open my eyes, I found that we were in the middle of this strange rock maze. I faintly made out the sound of Kadeem ordering us to stay behind him.</p><p>Taro glanced at me.“Still with me?”</p><p>I grunted in response, trying to force myself to get a grip. I avoided looking out the window since the swirling of colors didn’t help my headache and only served to make my eyes hurt. Instead, I chose to stare at the back end of the Spinebuster, who happened to be in front of us. Before I realized what was happening, we had flown off the edge of a cliff and through a camouflaged opening in the side of a large rock formation.</p><p>We drove down a narrow hall before it opened up to this huge dome with a track twisting and turning towards the ceiling. I had never seen anything like it in my life. And just like that, the amazement overwhelmed the pain inside my brain. Taro opened my door but ordered me to stay put just to be on the safe side. I did as I was told.</p><p>“Woah, check it out.” Vert seemed just as amazed as I am, which seemed a bit strange considering what he must have witnessed during the World Race.</p><p>A bright yellow light shot out from the center of the dome, forming a man’s face. I knew instantly that the face belonged to Tezla. “Welcome… to the Acceledrome!”</p><p>His voice was loud and bounced from wall to wall, rattling my head.</p><p>“Gelorum and her drones have the wheel of power. Before the wheel was taken, I discovered that it’s more than just a source of power. It’s the key to something much bigger than Highway 35. Countless new tracks and unique new worlds that I call, the Racing Realms.”</p><p>Jeez, this guy sounds like a friggin’ commercial or advertisement. Can he get any more melodramatic?</p><p>“Reaching the end of Highway 35 was only the first step mapped out for us by the Accelerons.”</p><p>Monkey’s vehicle squealed to a stop behind us and I clenched my jaw at the sound, glaring at him as he popped the top half of his body out of his sunroof. “Did I miss anything?”</p><p>The group collectively turned to stare at him before looking back to the hologram.</p><p>“The journey of discovery… begins <b>here</b>.” The face swirled into a blur before a large ring appeared in its place. Two smaller rings were inside the first, like those Russian nesting dolls. It spun around in a slow circle.</p><p>We followed Kadeem to a room with a large table and plenty of chairs. Naturally, the Teku sat on one side, while the Maniacs took the other. Kadeem took the head of the table.</p><p>In the center was a miniature ring, an exact replica of the large one.</p><p>“Which one is the wheel of power?” The female Teku questioned.</p><p>“They are both holograms,” Kadeem answered as a female in overalls entered the room, picking up where he left off. That robot was right behind her.</p><p>“Exact three-dimensional recreations.”</p><p>“Lani!” Vert smiled. “It’s great to see another Waveripper.”</p><p>The name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it. She certainly didn’t look familiar to me.</p><p>“I’m not driving, Vert. I’ve been working with Tezla in the Acceledrome. He didn’t tell me who was coming.” She narrowed her eyes at Taro and it clicked.</p><p>Lani… the reason the name sounded so familiar was from Mark and Taro’s World Race stories. She was one of the drivers and apparently she and Taro dated for some time before breaking up. Judging from that look and the tone of her voice, it didn’t end on a happy note.</p><p>“Awkward,” I muttered to myself, earning a glare from the man next to me. I coughed and shifted in my seat as the robot started to circle us.</p><p>“While studying the wheel, Dr. Tezla recorded a unique pattern of its wavelengths and vibrations.” It explained.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah. Scrap the lecture, Gig. We’re here to race.” Mark placed his huge feet on the table, leaning back in the chair with his hands on the back of his head. Typical Mark.</p><p>Wait… what did he say? Gig? So I guess that robot <em>does</em> have a name. Maybe I shouldn’t go around saying ‘it’ anymore.</p><p>It, I mean, <em>Gig</em>, continued. “The holographic image resonates with the same imminations of the actual wheel of power.”</p><p>Monkey looked confused, as usual. “Is he speaking English? He’s speaking English, right?”</p><p>“In a very real sense, the image <em>is</em> the wheel.”</p><p>“And that means…?” The female Teku asked what we were all thinking. I should probably learn her name, too, huh.</p><p>Lani answered, “Dr. Tezla believes the wheel of power has been opening the Racing Realms.”</p><p>“My headache is coming back.” I groaned softly.</p><p>Taro stood and walked toward the glass wall over-looking the large wheel.</p><p>“And that Gelorum’s racing drones have been entering them,” Gig added.</p><p>“We must reach the end of the next realm before the racing drones.” Kadeem had become very serious. The change from cheerful weighed heavy on me. It all felt like a dream, but it also felt like everything was about to become very real very fast.</p><p>“Why should we? Last time it was to get the wheel for Tezla. What does the doctor want now?” Kurt accused.</p><p>Where the hell did he even come from? He was not sitting there a minute ago.</p><p>“The drones have already accessed several racing realms.” Gig explained. “Dr. Tezla believes that with each new realm, they become more powerful.”</p><p>“Whatever’s at the end of the racing realms must be even more powerful,” Kadeem added.</p><p>Monkey laughed and I knew what he was going to say before it even left his mouth. “Well if it’s that powerful, it must be worth a lot of money! Right?”</p><p>Kadeem started to laugh again, and I was growing annoyed by it. It’s not that difficult to just say yes or no.</p><p>“Why is he laughing?” Monkey asked, sitting back down in defeat.</p><p>“Now more than ever, the best drivers are needed.” Gig said just as a loud alarm began to echo through the building.</p><p>“It’s moving,” Taro announced. Sure enough, both the large and miniature wheels were now turning, each ring moving in a different direction.</p><p>Lani approached the window. “A new realm is about to open.”</p><p>“Alright, come on!” Mark sounded like a kid on Christmas, and I found myself smiling. “Let’s go!”</p><p>“We need Nitrox,” Vert announced.</p><p>The alarm grew louder as we got back to the cars. Those who already have the tanks installed refilled theirs, while the rest installed the tanks themselves.</p><p>The smallest ring stopped moving, the symbol on its side illuminating. It looked like a baby snake or a worm… or maybe just a squiggly line.</p><p>Monkey picked up the tank of Nitrox, looking between it and Taro. “What exactly does this juice do?”</p><p>“You’ll see,”</p><p>I raised my brow at Taro’s response.</p><p>The second ring stopped.</p><p>The third stopped and then a large ball of blue light appeared in the middle of the smallest one.</p><p>“The racing realm is open,” Gig announced, barely audible over the screeching of the alarm.</p><p>I hopped into the passenger seat and Taro took off before I could even close the door. One by one, the drivers formed a line and entered the sky-high track. A machine sped up the vehicle, the force pushing us back against our seats as the speedometer soared to life, easily reaching almost two hundred miles per hour.</p><p>“You must be going three hundred miles per hour when you’ve reached the wheel,” Kadeem announced over the radio.</p><p>His words made my stomach tingle as the adrenaline inside my body stirred to life. My lips twitched up as our speed gradually increased. One more machine at the end of the track propelled us past the three hundred mark as we soared into the swirling blue abyss.</p><p>I heard the realm before I could see it.</p><p>Thunder, loud and angry, rattled the car as the flash of bright light faded. Mark’s cries of there being no track snapped me out of my daze and I frantically looked around. We were falling through the air, surrounded by thick clouds of purple and black. Thunder roared overhead and lightning struck down in the distance. It felt like we fell forever, my heart sinking at the thought that there might not be a track at all. Monkey started screaming and my heart pounded faster against my rib cage.</p><p>It felt like an eternity of falling and I briefly wondered if this was hell, when the track finally came into view. My heart rate didn’t slow until the wheels touched the track and we zoomed after Kadeem and Mark, who had landed first.</p><p>“Yo, this is wicked.” I stared at the swirling clouds lit up by strikes of lightning, cutting through them like a knife through warm butter. Don’t ask me why, but I’ve always had a thing for storms. They always made me feel peaceful and happy, though a part of me was wishing that it was raining, as well.</p><p>“Does anybody know what’s holding this track up?”</p><p>I couldn’t tell if Kadeem was being serious or joking.</p><p>“Ask the Accelerons,” Taro commented. I found myself grinning at his response.</p><p>The track started to turn, creating a tornado down into the clouds. The lightning was no longer in the distance – it was dangerously close now.</p><p>The track changed direction again, shooting up into the sky and forming a loop like a roller coaster then plunging straight down in the most wicked verticle line I’ve ever seen.</p><p>“Can anybody hear me? What’s the situation?” Lani reached out over the radio.</p><p>Monkey was the one to respond and I almost started laughing. “Whatever this dude’s paying us, it’s not enough!”</p><p>“Who said anything about being paid?” Gig asked. If he hadn’t been a robot, I would swear that he said that sarcastically.</p><p>I howled with laughter when Monkey screamed after hearing the response. I had never felt as alive as I do at this moment. My adrenaline is pumping, working through every inch of my body. I want to drive so badly! Why did I have to leave my car behind and ride with Taro to the race?</p><p>After the track straightened out, lightning rods appeared on both sides of the track. Lightning struck down from the sky like a vengeful god, sending power to the rods as they connected with one another through the currents of electricity.</p><p>Taro dodged the shocks as they flew from the rods to the track itself, making the drivers swerve back and forth to avoid them. I could see a flash of light hit Kurt’s car, the window shattering as it lost all power. I vaguely wondered if we should help, but the thought was quickly left behind as we passed him. He has his own teammates to help him.</p><p>We didn’t just have the lightning to worry about anymore. The farther we got, the harder it became to see thanks to a thick cloud of fog. I could barely see the tail lights of whoever was in front of us.</p><p>We were both struggling to see, but I guess Taro’s sight is slightly better than my own. He noticed the car heading straight for us way before I did, and he managed to swerve to avoid it. Unfortunately, the sharp turn of the wheel sent my side of the car straight into one of the lightning rods. The sudden stop sent a jolt through my body as the straps of the seat knocked the wind out of me. Man, having boobs is really inconvenient!</p><p>“You okay, Taro?”</p><p>He was rubbing his head, growling in anger. He said he was fine, but I could tell that he was feeling the impact as much as I was. Well, you know, except the whole boob-in-pain thing.</p><p>“The racing drones are here,” Kadeem announced, and it clicked into place in my mind. That’s what that thing was? Because he sure as hell was not racing!</p><p>“Where? I don’t see any racing – ” Monkey’s voice suddenly got very low. “- drones…”</p><p>I scowled. “Let’s kick some ass, Taro!”</p><p>He nodded in agreement and we took off, passing a broke down Mark on our way. I radioed to make sure he was good, to which he promptly made fun of me for quote ‘worrying about him’. Pft, that’s the last time I ask him if he needs help!</p><p>The fog was starting to clear and I could finally see up ahead of us. “Taro, we caught up to the drones!”</p><p>Without a word, he pressed down on the gas and rammed the closest one from behind. The force of the impact sent the drone spinning out and we zoomed past. In front of us was Kadeem, with a drone in front of him.</p><p>“Good, Taro! We can take on these drones together!”</p><p>“I’m gonna pass you.”</p><p>I whipped my head around to see that the drone had recovered himself and was now behind Kadeem with another one close behind. Just how many of these things are there?</p><p>The drone at the back of the line did something strange – he hit the drone in front of him, sending him off the track. It was then my eyes caught sight of the wire attached to the back of Kadeem’s car, dragging him over the edge.</p><p>I glanced at Taro, but he was too focused on the track in front of him. Biting my lip, I decided not to say anything. Kadeem had been racing these realms long before we came along. He’ll be fine.</p><p>Right…?</p><p>I turned around and shook my head. I had to stay focused on the task at hand. Even if I’m not the one driving, I can still assist Taro.</p><p>Three drones were driving in front of us, forming a wall to prevent others from passing. Taro increased his speed and rammed the one in the middle. The force sent the drone struggling for control and in that struggle, he managed to miss a ball of lightning that hit the track.</p><p>I screamed Taro’s name, but he didn’t have enough time to dodge it. It hit us head on, encasing the car in electricity and sending us rolling across the track. I could feel the pain surging through my entire body. It was nothing like earlier when he hit the rod. No, this pain was intense and horrible, like I had just shoved a wet fork into a light socket. My body started to grow numb, and I struggled to keep my eyes open.</p><p>“Ta… ro…” I managed out, but he was out cold.</p><p>I tried to hold on. Maybe if I could stay conscious until the pain subsided, I could recover from it. All I could think about was the unconscious man next to me. I started to remember my life before I met him and the other maniacs, how drastically everything changed after I met them after they took me in. After they became my family.</p><p>I tried to reach for the radio, but I couldn’t feel my arm. My body felt heavy like I had a garbage truck sitting on top of every limb. It was becoming harder to keep my eyes open, and I fought as hard as I could. I don’t know how long I lasted, but my body finally failed me and my eyes closed. All of the sounds around me started to fade until there was nothing left.</p><p>Nothing but darkness and silence.</p><p>
  <em>Is this where I die?</em>
</p><hr/><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Welded</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><ul>
<li>
<strong>Genre</strong>: Comedy, Friendship, Fluff ☁</li>
<li>
<strong>Word Count</strong>: 2,240 ☁</li>
<li>
<strong>Pairing</strong>: ?? ☁</li>
<li>
<strong>World</strong>: Other, Acceleracers ☁</li>
</ul><hr/><p>I felt a sharp tug and I registered the sound of my own groans of pain. It felt like I was moving but my eyes were heavy and it took a lot of strength to get them open. By the time I managed it, I felt exhausted, like I had just run a marathon. My vision blurred a few times before I was able to make out the scenery around me. I was moving, and fast, the purple and black clouds nothing but a blur.</p><p>I could faintly make out the sound of thunder, but it was much calmer now and there was no lightning in sight. A bright light filled my vision and I thought I was falling unconscious again but the light soon faded. I was jolted again, the harness pressing tight against my chest.</p><p>With a grunt, I wiggled around until I managed to get the damn thing off. I wasn’t moving anymore.</p><p>“Jae! Taro!” Monkey’s face appeared by the window and I blinked in confusion.</p><p>Why the hell is he yelling my name?</p><p>And Taro? My eyes fell on the unconscious man next to me and I struggled to reach over to him. The passenger door squeaked open and I felt warm hands grab my arms, preventing me from moving them any farther.</p><p>“Easy there, Jae.” Mark’s soft voice reached my ears and I stopped struggling against his hold, looking at him questioningly. I don’t understand what’s happening right now.</p><p>Why is he acting so kind all of a sudden?</p><p>Why is Monkey acting so concerned?</p><p>And why the hell is Taro unconscious?</p><p>I winced when that horrid alarm started to sound again followed by a screech like nails on a chalkboard. Vert cried out and tires started to squeal. Seriously, what the hell is happening right now?</p><p>A red and white vehicle pulled up beside us and Lani stepped out, opening up the back. “Come on, let’s get everyone to the infirmary!”</p><p>“No! We have to get back in there and find Kadeem!” Vert argued.</p><p>Find Kadeem? What is he talking about?</p><p>I tried to sit up to see Vert but Mark pushed me back down and scoffed. “You can’t even find half your car.”</p><p>What kind of insult is that? I looked at him strangely. Had Mark hit his head?</p><p>“Hey, back off! <em>Markie</em>.”</p><p>Shit, I cursed, pushing Mark away as he attempted to keep me in the seat. I have no idea what the hell is going on and I’m tired of sitting here feeling like a damn two-year-old.</p><p>“The storm realm can’t be re-opened.” Gig explained. “The wheel of power decides which racing realm to open and when.”</p><p>I managed to push the burly man out of my way. With one hand clinging to the roof and one hand threatening to rip Mark’s shirt, I managed to pull myself out of the car and onto my feet. They wobbled like they wanted to give way but I managed to keep them steady.</p><p>“Great! One realm’s enough for me.” Monkey commented.</p><p>Kurt limped over, his voice angry. Wait, why is he limping? “Typical Metal Maniac. The Teku aren’t afraid to try again.”</p><p>“Scrap the Teku!” Monkey responded. “Metal Maniacs do whatever we want! Right, Wylde?”</p><p>Wylde left my side, approaching the group. I nearly lost my balance at the lack of grip in my hand, but my body leaned against the car and I regained my support. “Nobody scares Wylde away from a race.”</p><p>“What? You want to go back in there?” Monkey couldn’t believe it. “Look what those drone dudes did to us.”</p><p>“Look what they did to <b>me</b>.” Everyone’s gaze turned up towards the platform where a man stood. His face was the same as the hologram, so I knew this was Tezla. What surprised me was the fact that his entire body was covered with a metal cast, from his neck to his feet.</p><p>The drones did that?</p><p>“We have work to do.” He said before turning around and walking away.</p><p>Monkey helped Lani get Taro into the back of her Nomad. Kurt refused help.</p><p>“Come on, Jae.” Monkey reached out for me but I held my hand up and shook my head. “You’re hurt!”</p><p>“I’m fine, Monkey.” I took a deep breath, slowly pushing away from Taro’s car. Once I felt safe enough that my legs would actually support me, I let go. “I just need a minute. Please.”</p><p>He stared at me with worry, but finally shook his head and walked away. The Nomad took off for the infirmary. My eyes never left it until it disappeared from sight.</p><p>
  <em>Taro… please be okay.</em>
</p><hr/><p>Everyone had begun working on their cars. I sat on a set of tires beside Monkey, still not feeling a hundred percent, but still doing better than Taro, who remained unconscious.</p><p>Kurt hit something, I’m not sure what since I was barely paying attention, but both Monkey and Mark started laughing at him like it was the funniest thing in the world.</p><p>“Nice one, Kurt!” Monkey managed through his laughter.</p><p>Vert offered to help him, but Kurt stood, declining the offer.</p><p>“You’re in no condition to keep working, Kurt.” Lani stood with her hands on her hips. “None of us are.”</p><p>“The next racing realm could open at any time.” Dr. Tezla walked up to her.</p><p>“So we skip the next realm, so what?” Kurt sounded annoyed as usual. I wanted to roll my eyes, but I actually agreed with him this time. I couldn’t stop thinking about Taro.</p><p>“The strange powers you reported.” Tezla began. “The things their cars can do. I believe they earn new powers every time they complete a racing realm. Soon, it will be impossible to stop them.”</p><p>“Stop them from what, exactly?” I questioned, more to myself. “World domination?”</p><p>If anyone heard me, they chose to ignore me, though Tezla did send a glance my way.</p><p>“It’s already impossible,” Lani complained. “The cars aren’t ready and… we’re all exhausted!”</p><p>“They <em>are</em> only human, Dr. Tezla,” Gig added. “Unfortunately.”</p><p>I scoffed.</p><p>“They can’t go against the drones again, not now.” It almost sounded like Lani was begging.</p><p>Monkey was inspecting something when he nudged me. “Woah, wait wait. Does anybody else hear music?”</p><p>I looked at him strangely but realized he was right. I could faintly hear a booming, like bass.</p><p>Monkey jumped down excitedly. “That must be my ride. I got in touch with Tork. Yeah, I told him what happened.”</p><p>“That’s no Metal Maniac,” Mark said, but Monkey wasn’t listening. He was right, though. That music clearly belonged to a Teku, or at the very least, someone that liked their music. We exchanged a look.</p><p>The sound grew louder as they approached the hideout and soon the sound of Teku music mingling with the sound of roaring engines and squealing tires filled the drome. Sure enough, two Teku cars had arrived, barely missing Lani and Tezla as they slid to a stop.</p><p>The first I had never seen before. He was short and wore headphones. It was obvious that the music was coming from his car, tricked out with too many speakers to count. He tapped a button on his bracelet and the music shut off.</p><p>“Yo, let’s pump up the bassline.” He said, bobbing his head to the music now playing in his ears.</p><p>The second driver was Nolo.</p><p>“You had no right to reveal the location of the Acceledrome!” Tezla pointed angrily at Monkey, who made a face in response.</p><p>“Hey, hey! I don’t talk to Teku, okay? You can drop that right there.”</p><p>Kurt, now using crutches, hopped over to them. “I told them because we need help.”</p><p>“Listen. What we are doing here must be kept secret.” Tezla demanded.</p><p>I narrowed my eyes at him. I didn’t trust this guy as far as I can throw him. And boy did I want to throw him.</p><p>“Why?” Kurt asked in a mocking way. “Who you afraid of?”</p><p>“The drones,”</p><p>“The drones are finished!” Nolo screamed. “Nobody beats the Teku!”</p><p>“You mean, ‘Nobody but the Metal Maniacs’.”</p><p>I groaned. Damnit, Mark. Can’t you keep your mouth shut for five seconds?</p><p>“I mean <b>nobody</b>.”</p><p>“Mark,” I slowly stood up. My legs were still a bit weak, but I had regained quite a bit of strength so far. “Knock it off.”</p><p>“Yeah yeah, whateva.”</p><p>The roar of an engine made my head whip around towards the entrance of the dome. Tork’s car came into view and I felt relief wash over me.</p><p>“Aha!” Monkey felt the same relief as he headed toward the car. “Now <b>that</b> is my ride! Hey, let’s get out of here, Tork.”</p><p>“After what you said the drones did to you, Taro and Jae? No way.”</p><p>I smiled as I slowly made my way over to our leader. I’m not sure what it is about him, but he always puts my mind at ease. He’s a damn good leader.</p><p>But Monkey wasn’t having it. “That’s the idea of leaving, Tork, so they don’t do it again!”</p><p>“Nobody does this to my guys!” He announced. “We’re welded.”</p><p>“Let’s just get out of here, okay man?” Monkey begged.</p><p>Nolo felt now was a good time to add his two cents. “Send this Maniac scum back to the junkyard!”</p><p>I growled, feeling my own anger rise. Monkey tried to hold Tork back and sent me a look to try and help him, but I was all for seeing that prick get his ass beat. No one talks about my brothers like that!</p><p>“Get off me, Monkey!” Tork easily picked him up and set him to the side, approaching Teku’s leader. I was next to him in a second, ignoring the shooting pain surging through my body. “You better watch it, punk.”</p><p>“Stop trying to act tough, Nolo,” I growled, my hand gripping the back of Tork’s shirt as a way to stabilize myself.</p><p>The sound of a big rig horn echoed through the dome, successfully gaining everyone’s attention.</p><p>“Is that…?” Monkey shot up but quickly shook his head. “No, it couldn’t be. He said he’d be gone for months.”</p><p>Tork helped support me as we turned in the direction of the sound. I already knew in the back of my mind who it was and I couldn’t stop the smile creeping up. I should have known that he would come the second he heard what happened.</p><p>“Did you tell him?” I whispered to Tork.</p><p>He nodded, “Of course I did.”</p><p>Ol Smokey, the name of Porkchop’s big rig, burst through a door off to the side that I hadn’t even noticed before, its horn blaring. He slammed on the breaks and the trailer slung to the side, revealing four rugged Maniac cars, one of which belongs to me.</p><p>The bulky man stepped out of the cab and Monkey approached him. “You really didn’t have to come, Porkchop.”</p><p>With a low growl, he grabbed the strap of Monkey’s bag and hoisted him into the air. “Alright… Who did this to you?!”</p><p>“Help!” Monkey cried out, his feet dangling a good foot off the ground. The Teku had grouped up now, watching the spectacle.</p><p>“They’re gonna pay,” Porkchop growled again. “You hear me?!” I shifted my weight from one foot to the other and ended up catching his eye. He dropped Monkey and rushed towards me.</p><p>I swallowed hard and attempted to back away to avoid the large man, but I ended up losing my footing – and by that I mean I moved too fast and tripped over my own foot, sending me to the ground. I closed my eyes, waiting to be jumped, but it never came.</p><p>Tork was standing between me and him.</p><p>He growled again, eyes narrowed at me. “Tell me who did this! I’ll rip ’em to shreds!”</p><p>“Stop monkeying around, Porkchop!” Tork ordered.</p><p>I cleared my throat and shifted to a more comfortable position on the floor. “I’m fine, really.”</p><p>I don’t think he fully believed me, but he did calm down a bit, muttering a ‘whatever’. This, in turn, made me calm down knowing that I wasn’t about to be squashed like a friggin’ pancake by a man three times my size.</p><p>Remember when I said Tork is the largest in our group?</p><p>Well, that’s not completely true. While he does have the most muscle, Porkchop is easily the tallest – so he not only has muscle but also height, making him someone you do NOT want to cross.</p><p>Or worry, apparently.</p><p>“Hey!” I turned towards the voice and my eyes widened. “Let’s get even.”</p><p>I scrambled to my feet, nearly tripping again as I rushed towards Taro. I must have looked like a fool, considering how many times I almost tripped crossing the distance to him, but I didn’t really care.</p><p>I slammed into him, my arms wrapped tight around his torso. He had a brace on his leg and arm, but other than that he seemed fine. I felt more grateful at that moment than ever before.</p><p>“I’m glad you’re okay, Taro,” I muttered softly. “I was really worried.”</p><p>He patted my back, not quite affectionate enough for a hug. “What about you?”</p><p>We separated and I offered him a reassuring smile. “A bit banged up, but I think you got the worse end of the deal.”</p><p>He shrugged. “I can live with that. Now let’s go, we got work to do.”</p><hr/><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Swamp</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><ul>
<li>
<strong>Genre</strong>: Comedy, Friendship, Fluff, Angst ☁</li>
<li>
<strong>Word Count</strong>: 2,732 ☁</li>
<li>
<strong>Pairing</strong>: ?? ☁</li>
<li>
<strong>World</strong>: Other, Acceleracers ☁</li>
</ul><hr/><p>We were all preparing our cars for the next realm. The Maniacs had their own little corner while the Teku had their own across the room. It was best that the two groups remained separated for obvious reasons, but even with the distance… well, let’s just say that sound travels.</p><p>Teku music started blaring through the drome, causing Porkchop to hit his head on the hood of his car. I flinched at the sound – that had to hurt. He growled in annoyance and started heading over, getting Mark’s attention who, of course, had to join in.</p><p>With a groan of annoyance, I quickly followed suit.</p><p>“Scrap that noise, stinku!” Porkchop ordered. I internally cringed at the insult.</p><p>The shortest of the Teku didn’t pay him any mind. In fact, he was so into the music that he pushed a button on his bracelet and his own car started rocking with music so loud that the piles of tires behind it began to shake. A couple even fell and hit the ground. He didn’t seem to care though and started dancing to the beat.</p><p>Both Mark and Porkchop covered their ears as if the sound physically hurt them. I mean, sure it’s a bit loud, but I’m not gonna lie – I was actually enjoying the beat.</p><p>Not that I’d ever admit that out loud. Nope, not in a million years.</p><p>The female – her name is Karma, I learned – reached into the car and turned the music off. It was replaced instantly by the screeching of the alarm.</p><p>Another realm was opening up.</p><p>Porkchop fell to the ground and I burst out laughing, earning a half-glare half ‘you’re crazy’ look from Mark.</p><p>“The next racing realm is opening,” Tezla announced.</p><p>I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, we kinda figured that much.”</p><p>Mark smirked at me as headed to his car.</p><p>I rushed back to my own beautiful Night Hawk which was parked right next to Taro’s Riveted. I sent him a look, silently asking if he was okay to race. He nodded his head and started the car. I decided to stay close to him, using his injuries as an excuse even though I would probably follow him anyway.</p><p>We took off, heading for the track. This was my first time driving through the track and I was feeling a bit nervous about it, but the excitement was too high for me to focus on anything else.</p><p>“You have one hour.” Came Tezla’s voice through the radio.</p><p>My grip on the steering wheel tightened as I pushed farther down on the accelerator. I stuck close behind Taro with Mark behind me and both Porkchop and Monkey driving in the same car behind him.</p><p>“You don’t even have to stop, Porkchop. Just slow down and I’ll jump!” Monkey’s begging came through the radio.</p><p>He only laughed in response. “I love this job! Yee he haw!”</p><p>I tried to contain my laughter at the pair. They were always hilarious when they got together.</p><p>“<b>PORKCHOP</b>!!” Monkey cried.</p><p>I hit the portal and that familiar flash of light filled my vision. When it disappeared, I found myself soaring through a jungle of huge trees and vines. All I could see was green and brown!</p><p>We landed safely on the track and took off. The second thing I noticed about this track is the lack of traction. It felt… slippery.</p><p>The track led us in a circle around a large tree, slowly descending down towards the ground. Every few seconds there would be a different track connected to the one we’re currently on. I wondered if we were actually going the right way.</p><p>“Hey, which track are we supposed to take?” Tork’s gruff voice came over the radio. I silently thanked our leader for asking what was on my mind.</p><p>“They may all lead to the end,” Tezla answered.</p><p>“The last time, they led to nowhere.” Gig’s voice was low and barely audible. Tork didn’t catch it, but I certainly did.</p><p>“I didn’t copy that. Say again?” Tork responded.</p><p>The air was silent for a moment before Tezla finally came through. “This is Dr. Tezla. We think you should split up.”</p><p>“Let’s move some metal, Maniacs!” Tork grunted.</p><p>Hearing that line gave me confidence but I still chose to stick close to Taro.</p><p>The farther we drove, the louder the sounds of this place became. Screeches and hollers of monsters I couldn’t even imagine.</p><p>I glanced into the side mirror. “We caught a drone, Taro!”</p><p>No matter what, I would not let that bastard pass me. I stayed focused, my eyes shifting from the mirror to the road and back again. I swear, I only looked away for a second, and when I looked forward I saw this huge… <em>thing</em> on top of Taro’s car. “Is that… a mosquito?”</p><p>The creature rammed its stinger into the roof of his car several times before stopping. I could only guess that Taro had grabbed it and was preventing it from breaking free. Next thing I know, the bug is sent flying as we drive under a thick piece of tree trunk hanging low over the track. Our cars barely made the clearance, so that thing didn’t stand a chance.</p><p>I scoffed when he threw the stinger out the window, glancing in the mirror. Crap, I had forgotten about the drone behind us. “Time for some payback, buddy.”</p><p>I pushed down on the accelerator, gaining speed before slamming on the breaks. The drone didn’t have enough time to react and hit the back of my car full force, sending it flying through the air. It collided with one of the mosquitos and exploded.</p><p>The strap had pulled tight over my bruised chest but I was too happy to care much. My first drone kill. Who wouldn’t be happy?</p><p>I switched gears and took off after Taro. The track gradually became more covered in moss and our traction was rapidly declining, making it that much more difficult. I had confidence in myself and my team, though. A little slip and slide were not enough to stop the Metal Maniacs!</p><p>Along the way, we managed to meet up with Vert and, surprise surprise, another drone. Vert was doing a good job of blocking him when his car started to glow. He disappeared only to reappear in the front of the line.</p><p>I scowled, “What a cheater!”</p><p>Taro rammed into him. “Not this time.”</p><p>In a flash, I saw Taro slam on the breaks as his car, attached to the drone’s car, started to flip across the track. Seeing it brought back flashes from the previous realm and I slammed on breaks to avoid hitting him. Vert had to use his jump jets to fly over us – if he hadn’t, he probably would have hit me, sending me straight into Taro and that would have been a mess.</p><p>I pulled up beside Taro once his car stopped flipping. “Oi, you okay?”</p><p>He was rubbing his head and growling in annoyance. I took that as a yes.</p><p>The drone took off after Vert like what had just happened was nothing.</p><p>We managed to catch up, only to run straight into a giant monster. Add that to the fact that these damn vines seemed to have a mind of their own, along with the dozen or so other radio-active creatures trying to kill us, and you have one hell of a party.</p><p>“Stay in the groove, Porkchop!” Monkey’s voice came over the radio. I could only assume they were being chased down by the vines the same as the rest of us. A few minutes later, he came through again, calmer this time. “You did not stay in the groove, Porkchop.”</p><p>Porkchop mimicked him and I started smiling despite the evil vines trying to mess me up. Leave it to that pair to bring comic relief even in the face of doom by swamp.</p><p>“Nolo, Tork – ” Lani’s voice came through this time. Hearing those two names in the same line? I knew it wouldn’t be good. “ – you have to draft together. It’s the only way to get more speed.”</p><p>I scoffed. Is this woman nuts? She knows about the rivalry between the two. Does she honestly think that’ll work? Maybe she’s just cruising for some punishment.</p><p>“Yeah,” Tork laughed. “You can stay behind me, Nolo, where you Teku trash belong.”</p><p>Yup, called it. Man, I should have placed a bet with Porkchop!</p><p>“Nolo, what are you doing?!” Lani cried.</p><p>“Watch me!” Nolo replied.</p><p>Honestly, she really should have expected this. Why did she sound so surprised?</p><p>I grunted, barely dodging one of the vines as it shot forward. I could feel my tires slipping over the moss as my speed stayed rooted in the same spot. The vines are getting closer, damn it!</p><p>The monster in the center was friggin’ huge and he sounded pissed as he roared at the passing cars. I could see Vert and Porkchop high up in the sky, completely caught in the web of vines. I tried to think of a way to free them, but my mind was blank.</p><p>I placed my hand over the blade next to my seat. Would it even be strong enough to cut through such thick vines? Especially ones that were alive?</p><p>“Wylde, stay in the middle of the track!” Monkey called.</p><p>“Scrap it, Monkey!”</p><p>“It’s true! It’s stickier, it’s got better traction!”</p><p>“Nobody tells Wylde what to do!”</p><p>That damn ego! Why can’t he just listen for once?!</p><p>I cried out as my car jerked and my tires left the track. Vines wrapped around my car tightly, hoisting me high into the air. Damn it, I let myself get distracted! With a growl, I grabbed my blade and rolled the window down. Almost immediately, a vine shot through the opening. I grabbed it with one hand and stabbed the blade clean through.</p><p>The monster howled as the severed vine fell into my lap.</p><p>“Jeez, this is like bad tentacle porn, man!” I scowled at the vines trapping my car.</p><p>“That’s gross!” Monkey replied, giving me a look. He and Porkchop were a few feet in front of me, the latter biting into a vine that had entered the car. The passenger side door was gone, leaving Monkey completely exposed.</p><p>I don’t know what to do. Crap, what do I do?!</p><p>“What’s going on?! What’s happening?!” Lani cried. I wanted to tell her to shut her trap, but I didn’t know where Taro stood and pissing him off is never a smart move, so I decided to keep my mouth shut.</p><p>“They… didn’t make it, Lani,” Vert answered, only to cry out a few seconds later.</p><p>“Vert!” I cried his name. I could see his car way ahead of me, along with the drone on the hood. I felt so helpless – a feeling I told myself I would never let myself feel again. I cried out again, this time in anger, and stuck the top half of my body out the window, brandishing my blade with both hands and ramming it into one of the larger vines wrapped around my car. The tip barely pierced it – it was just too thick.</p><p>One of the monsters roared and I looked up to see something akin to a mutated yeti grabbing the drone from Vert’s car. He roared again, holding the drone in one of his large hands while grabbing the other end with his foot and ripping the drone into two pieces. I breathed a sigh of relief but it was short lived as a huge mosquito flew up to my car, screeching as it zeroed in for an attack.</p><p>I struggled to get my blade free from the vine. Despite barely going in, it was now stuck and wouldn’t budge. I growled, using every last bit of my strength to yank it free. The force sent me flying back into the car, missing the stinger of the mosquito by a mere few inches.</p><p>Tires squealed below and I saw Nolo fly by, followed closely by two drones. I found myself silently cheering him on… he’s our last hope!</p><p>“No! Listen to me!” Lani cried. “You have to wait for another car to draft with! You can’t make it on your own, Nolo!”</p><p>I’ve had enough of this bitch. “No, you listen! Your pessimistic ass ain’t helping, you know! There is no other car for him to draft with and we’re all about to be eaten alive by these damn things!”</p><p>“I’ll make it!” Nolo announced. “If I stay in the groove.”</p><p>I bit my lip. It seems he’s figured out the trick to getting more traction. He’s pretty good… you know, for a Teku.</p><p>“I can see the end!” He cried.</p><p>“Come on, Nolo…” I whispered to myself, closing my eyes and clutching the dragon pendant that hung from my neck.</p><p>The monster let out a pained roar as Nolo soared through the portal. A bright green light shot out, flying through the sky like an invisible order to the monsters of the realm. The giant worms suddenly lost interest, the mosquitos flew away, and the vines finally started to loosen their grip. One by one, cars fell from the sky onto the track.</p><p>I grunted on impact, losing my grip on the blade. It slid across my forearm before hitting the floor. It wasn’t a deep cut, but it still stung.</p><p>The monster roared again, almost as if it were in pain, and it turned completely black. Its eyes, once a bright yellow, were now pitch black and it finally stopped moving. I breathed a sigh of relief, falling back against my seat.</p><p>The sound of metal hitting the track was followed by the bass of Teku music. I glanced in the mirror as the shortest Teku came driving up. Where the hell was he this entire time??</p><p>“Ugh, stupid stereo on wheels,” Porkchop complained.</p><p>We all started our cars, minus Vert who had to catch a lift with the ‘stereo on wheels’, and headed towards the portal. Only a few minutes after we all made it through, the portal closed.</p><p>God, that realm sucked.</p><p>“Tork!” Nolo yelled out of nowhere. “This hasn’t changed anything.”</p><p>I facepalmed. Seriously? We just escaped certain death by mutated swamp monsters and he’s already picking a fight?</p><p>“I’m still taking you down!” He finished.</p><p>“You wanna take on someone, how ’bout you take on me?” And now Mark was in it, great.</p><p>Tork held his arm up to stop Mark. “Tame it, Wylde.” He turned to Nolo. “Anytime you’re ready, Nolo. Anytime.”</p><p>The air was tense but it was quickly broken by laughter. The only laughter capable of cutting through such tension.</p><p>“Kadeem?” Vert questioned.</p><p>“You recognize the voice in the recording.” Dr. Tezla approached the group. “Kadeem didn’t drive for revenge. He drove because he knew Gelorum had to be stopped. We have work to do before the next realm opens.”</p><p>Tork and Nolo started each other down for a few more seconds before Tork turned away. “Come on, Maniacs. Let’s go move some metal.”</p><p>Everyone got into their cars and took off toward their respective corners. Everyone except for Vert, who didn’t have a car, and myself.</p><p>I didn’t want to admit it out loud since Maniacs aren’t really the touchy-feely kinda people, but I felt guilty about Kadeem. Very guilty.</p><p>I approached Vert, patting his arm to get his attention. “You okay?”</p><p>He offered me a smile, but it was obviously forced. “Yeah, you?” His eyes shot down to my bloody arm. “You’re bleeding!”</p><p>I glanced down, the sting was long forgotten in the midst of the swirling emotions of relief, anger, and guilt. Overall, I wasn’t feeling any pain. I just felt… exhausted. I shrugged it off, examining my arm lazily. “I’ve had worse.”</p><p>“We need to get it wrapped up.”</p><p>“It’s fine, Vert, really. It’s not that deep.”</p><p>He shook his head and grinned. “It wasn’t a request.”</p><p>I raised a brow in surprise and allowed him to take me to the infirmary. It was mostly quiet on the way there, which I was thankful for. At the same time, the silence weighed down on me because I knew what he was thinking about.</p><p>Kadeem.</p><p>Why do I feel like I should apologize to him?</p><p>Because deep down I know… I could have saved Kadeem.</p><hr/><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Maniacs Don't Cry</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><ul>
<li>
<strong>Genre</strong>: Angst ☁</li>
<li>
<strong>Word Count</strong>: 1,899 ☁</li>
<li>
<strong>Pairing</strong>: ?? ☁</li>
<li>
<strong>World</strong>: Other, Acceleracers ☁</li>
</ul><p> I wrote this while listening to Bebe Rexha “I’m A Mess” on repeat, so it’s a good theme song for this chapter.</p><hr/><p>
  <b>
    <em>THUMP!</em>
  </b>
</p><p>I jolted awake, my glassy eyes squinting in the darkness. I glanced at the clock, wondering if it was time to get up but the bright red digits were flashing, waiting to be set. I could’ve sworn it was set before I fell asleep.</p><p>I rubbed my eyes and listened for the sound of the realm alarm, but I was greeted only with complete silence. I shrugged it off, falling back onto the bed and stifling a yawn.</p><p>You know that strange sensation of being awake yet being asleep at the same time? It’s kind of like you’re teetering between the two. That’s where I was at, about to completely cross over when my brain picked up a faint whisper. It wasn’t enough to pull me back, but it was certainly enough to prevent me from advancing.</p><p>Another whisper, this time more clear.</p><p>My name. It was my name.</p><p>I groaned tiredly, rolling over so that my back was facing the source of the sound. I figured it was just Mark, so I muttered for him to get lost.</p><p>A few moments of silence and then another whisper. It was different this time, though. It sounded angry, demanding even. I could feel the hair on the back of my neck stand straight up as goosebumps erupted across my skin. I was completely yanked from sleep.</p><p>My body was now alert and ready. For what, I couldn’t be sure.</p><p>I slowly sat back up, turning towards the door. I could feel my blood run cold like ice in my veins. My heart hammered against my rib cage as if it were trying to escape. I honestly didn’t blame it. I tried to speak, but it was as if something was lodged in my throat.</p><p>“Hello, Jae. Surprised to see me?”</p><p>Surprised was the last thing I was feeling right now. “Kadeem…? Is that… is that really you?”</p><p>“You should know. You did kill me, after all.”</p><p>I swallowed hard, shifting so that my back was against the wall. “No… I… I didn’t have anything to do with that…”</p><p>His eyebrow rose as he approached my bed. “Perhaps you’re right. You didn’t actually pull the trigger, but you certainly did nothing to help.”</p><p>“There was nothing – ”</p><p>“Don’t!” He growled in anger. “You saw me go over the edge. You could have said something. So tell me, Jae – ” he leaned down, face inches from my own. “ – why didn’t you?”</p><p>My heart clenched tight inside my chest and I snapped my eyes shut tight, clutching the dragon pendant in my hand. It took so much effort for me to answer, and when I finally managed to speak, it was nothing but a whisper. “I’m so sorry, Kadeem.”</p><p>“Let me tell you why.” He stood straight, a wicked grin spreading across his face. “You’re a coward. You’re weak. You knew you couldn’t save me and you were too afraid to try, too afraid to show your precious Taro how weak you really are. Just like the swamp realm.”</p><p>As soon as the words left his mouth, vines appeared out of thin air. They wrapped around my wrists and ankles, dragging me down flat against the mattress. I couldn’t move no matter how hard I struggled against my binds.</p><p>Kadeem threw his head back in laughter. “You’re too weak to break free! This is why your family threw you away. Why all of your friends threw you away. Did you honestly think things would change here? Soon, the Metal Maniacs will come to realize how weak and pathetic you really are and they will abandon you just as everyone else has.”</p><p>“You… re… wr… on… g…” I managed to gasp out. It caused the vine around my neck to tighten, making it harder to breathe.</p><p>“You think so?” He leaned down again, his lips right next to my ear. “Your own father killed himself just to get away from you.”</p><p>A scream ripped from my throat and I squeezed my eyes shut tight, begging for him to stop. My hands balled into fists so tight that I could feel my nails breaking the skin. I could hear Kadeem’s laughter grow louder and louder, threatening to burst my eardrums.</p><p>A cry of pain left my lips.</p><p>And just like that, everything stopped.</p><p>I shot up in my bed, breathing heavy as a thick layer of sweat drenched my forehead. My eyes darted around the room, looking for any sign of Kadeem or the vines. I found nothing to indicate their presence.</p><p>My eyes shot to the red digits illuminating the darkness. Half past two in the morning.</p><p>I swallowed hard, bringing my knees to my chest. My arms wrapped tight around them and for the next thirty minutes, I sat there chanting the same phrase over and over again in my head.</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>It was just a dream.</em>
  </b>
</p><p>I felt fear at the thought of lifting my head. What if it wasn’t a dream and he’s just waiting for me to lift my head? The thought had me frozen to the spot.</p><p>
  <em>You’re a coward.</em>
</p><p>Kadeem’s words echoed through my head. He was right, I <em>am</em> a coward.</p><p>Taking a deep breath, I slowly forced my head up, eyes quickly darting around for any signs of life. Once again, I found nothing but the clock digits basking me with a faint red light.</p><p>3:20 am.</p><p>I knew there would be no getting back to sleep for me which was perfectly fine. I lowered my feet to the ground, slipping my boots on before leaving the room. I didn’t know where to go, but I knew I couldn’t stay in that room a minute more.</p><p>The other members aren’t like me; they can’t function properly without sleep and I really didn’t want them to see me like this, either, so I decided to leave the dorm area for the garage.</p><p>I went straight to the Maniacs side. All of the cars are beefed up and mean looking. Metallics in faded browns and orange, black and red. They’re tough just like their owners, but as I ran my fingertips across the black metal of my car, I didn’t feel the confidence that it usually offered me.</p><p>It felt cold and distant.</p><p>I held back a sigh and approached the Teku’s side. It was a great contrast between the two styles. The Teku cars are bright and vibrant – shades of white, blue and orange mingling together like old friends. They’re shiny and look brand new – unlike the faded and rustic colors of the Maniacs.</p><p>I ran my fingers across them as I walked by.</p><p>Vert’s car. Nolo’s. Kurt’s. Karma’s.</p><p>My fingers hovered near the car belonging to their shortest member. It felt kind of sacred, like it was taboo to touch it without asking. I took a second to admire it for the very first time.</p><p>It’s actually a really beautiful car.</p><p>Even though it felt wrong, I let my shaking hand rest on the hood. The sleek metal was cold, but it felt nothing like my own had. I didn’t feel a sense of rejection or disgust. I just felt… a sense of calm rush over me, but it didn’t last long. I felt as if all the negative emotions I had been burying over the years were bursting from the dirt, demanding to see the light of day.</p><p>I stared at my reflection in the window – at the tears sliding down my pale cheeks. I can’t believe I’m crying…</p><p>I sunk to the floor, leaning my head back against the car.</p><p>I’m actually crying…</p><p>The last time I cried… I can’t even remember.</p><p>Crying makes you weak.</p><p>Maniacs aren’t weak.</p><p>Maniacs don’t cry.</p><p>Maniacs don’t feel <em>anything</em> but anger or excitement.</p><p>If Tork saw me right now…</p><p>Oh god, if <em>Taro</em> saw me like this…</p><p>They’d all get rid of me, just as everyone else in my life had.</p><p>I flinched at the pain shooting through my hands. Unclenching them, I found dried blood around half-moon cuts lining the length of my palms. Great, now I have a physical reminder of how weak I am.</p><p>I groaned, throwing my head back as I held my pendant up towards the ceiling. The stainless steel shined brightly, even under the dim lighting in the garage. My thumb ran over the engraved features from memory, having followed the same path a thousand times before.</p><p>A sigh passed my lips and I closed my eyes, letting the pendant drop back against my chest. And everything faded away.</p><hr/><p>I grunted in annoyance as I felt a hand on my arm. I swatted it away, but it continued. My eyes peeled open, blinking repeatedly until my vision stabilized. I expected to see Mark and I was prepared to chew him out for waking me up, but I stopped short when I noticed who was actually in front of me.</p><p>The shortest of the Teku was kneeling in front of me, looking at me with curiosity. His headphones, usually on his ears, were around his neck. This struck me as odd.</p><p>“Are you okay?” He questioned.</p><p>I sent him a strange look. “Why wouldn’t I be?”</p><p>“You’re sleeping on the ground next to my car.” He smiled lightly, almost as if amused.</p><p>I quickly sat up straight, almost hitting his forehead with my own. True to his word, I was sitting on the cold cement beside his car. I don’t even remember falling asleep. I groaned, rubbing my face with my hands. “I can’t believe I fell asleep here. Totally gonna feel this later.”</p><p>“What happened to your hands?” He asked suddenly.</p><p>“What?” I glanced at my hands. “Oh, forgot about that. It’s nothing, Teku.” I pulled myself to my feet too quickly, losing my balance if not for the music-loving guy that grabbed my arm. “Why are you being nice to me?”</p><p>He smiled, releasing my arm once I was steady. “I don’t care if you’re a Metal Maniac. I have nothing against you.”</p><p>I scoffed, thinking he was joking or playing a trick on me. When I looked into his eyes, though, I knew he was being honest. It caught me off guard and I looked at him with a blank expression. “You’re serious.”</p><p>“Is that really so strange?” He laughed. “You’re friends with Vert.”</p><p>“Who said we’re friends?” It was an automatic response I had built up to avoid conflict with the other Maniacs. They all know I talk to Vert, but friendship? That changes things.</p><p>“Vert did. He talks about you a lot.”</p><p>He considers me a friend? He even talks about me to the other Teku?</p><p>The Maniac side of me wanted to deny it, but something stopped me from doing so. All I could respond with was a soft, “Oh.”</p><p>“You should go to the infirmary.” He suggested, motioning towards my hands.</p><p>“Yeah. Yeah, I should.” I moved around him but stopped after only a few steps. “Hey, what’s your name?”</p><p>He looked back at me with surprise. “Shirako.”</p><p>“Shirako.” I tested the name out on my tongue before offering him a small smile. “I’m Jae.”</p><p>And then I walked away.</p><p>I honestly don’t understand why I asked for his name or why I was being nice to him. I just… I feel like I <em>can’t</em> be mean to him.</p><p>Or rather… I didn’t really want to be.</p><hr/><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Loss of Senses</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><ul>
<li>
<strong>Genre</strong>: Angst, Friendship ☁</li>
<li>
<strong>Word Count</strong>: 2,139 ☁</li>
<li>
<strong>Pairing</strong>: ?? ☁</li>
<li>
<strong>World</strong>: Other, Acceleracers ☁</li>
</ul><hr/><p>When morning finally arrived, I entered the cafeteria, taking a seat next to Tork who nodded in acknowledgment. He and Karma were the only ones in there at the time, so I was able to get some peace and quiet as I rested my head on the metal table. It was cold and felt good against my pounding head.</p><p>“You’re not eating?” Tork questioned.</p><p>“Don’t have much of an appetite this morning.” Which totally isn’t because I had a guilt-ridden nightmare which led me to end up passed out against a Teku car. Yeah, that totally didn’t happen.</p><p>He remained silent and I worried that he was going to ask me something other, but my saving grace appeared in the form of Taro. He sat across from me after grabbing a tray of food, his eyes narrowed at me.</p><p>“You’re up early,” He sounded suspicious.</p><p>“Is that a crime now?”</p><p>“You hate mornings,”</p><p>Damn you, Taro. Why do you have to pay so much attention to others, huh? “I’m turning over a new leaf, so what.”</p><p>The door opened and in walked Vert and Shirako, both of whom smiled at me. I cleared my throat as I stood up, mumbling about how I was going to go work on my car. I could feel multiple pairs of eyes on my back but I did my best to ignore it.</p><p>Mark was already at the cars, working on his Spinebuster. He nodded at me when I approached but said nothing. I was thankful that he kept his mouth shut for once.</p><p>My eyes scanned the length of my Night Hawk as I remembered the feeling of rejection from that night. I reached out, hesitating for a moment, before letting my hand rest on the hood. The metal was ice cold, just as it had been before, but it didn’t feel quite as distant.</p><p>I bowed my head as I rested my other hand on the hood, <em>‘Night Hawk… I know I’m not as strong as I pretend to be. As a car belonging to the Metal Maniacs, you deserve someone with a stronger will behind your wheel, but I… I won’t give up. I will keep fighting and moving forward, even if I have to destroy those in my way. I hope you’ll continue fighting by my side.’</em></p><p>“You look like shit,” Mark commented, raising his brow when I met his gaze.</p><p>I scoffed, “You ain’t no field of daisies, either.”</p><p>“Did you even sleep last night? And what the hell happened to your hands?”</p><p>“Will you quit with the third degree already? Damn,” I popped the hood of my car and started my routine check to make sure everything was in order and ready to go.</p><p>“You’re acting pretty defensive, kid.”</p><p>“And you’re acting pretty annoying, <em>kid</em>.” I scowled, pointing the wrench at him. “Don’t forget I’m older than you.”</p><p>“Are you sure? I mean, you’re pretty short,”</p><p>“What does being short have to do with age? Work on your car and be quiet, will ya?”</p><p>“Che,” He glared at me but did as he was told. It wasn’t long before that damned alarm sounded again.</p><p>Please, for the love of god, let it be something simple this time.</p><p>“A new realm is opening,” Dr. Tezla announced over the loudspeaker.</p><p>Yeah, because we couldn’t hear the alarm.</p><p>“Hey, kid!” Porkchop pulled up beside you in his Jack Hammer. “Wanna roll with me this time?”</p><p>I dropped the hood into place with a nod, hopping into the passenger seat. He took off before the door even closed, following close behind Shirako. We entered the ball of light.</p><p>We were in a cavern, dark and damp. There were bright yellow crystals edged into the walls and ceilings which gave off a faint glow, but that clearly wasn’t enough for Shirako. Soon after entering, his car started to glow like a damn disco ball that was exposed to radiation.</p><p>“Turn off the lights, Teku, I can’t see!” Porkchop complained, swerving back and forth across the track as he did his best to see past the blinding lights.</p><p>“He’s more than just a stereo on wheels, he’s a feckin’ rave on wheels,” I muttered, earning a sharp look from Porkchop.</p><p>As is the Maniac way, he increased his speed so that he was beside the male before ramming into the side of his car and sending him into the wall. From the passenger seat, I could see Shirako’s smirk as he eyed Porkchop and I knew what was coming.</p><p>His lights were off due to the impact but were quickly replaced by his bass-centric stereo system.</p><p>“Now I can’t hear!” Porkchop complained, and I had to agree.</p><p>Being that close to the music was making the Jack Hammer shake. I briefly worried that it was going to shatter the windows, but we had bigger problems to worry about. The bass from his music wasn’t just shaking the car, it was shaking the cave and sending stalactites falling onto the track.</p><p>“Look out!” Kurt’s voice came through the radio, followed by the sound of tears squealing.</p><p>Porkchop narrowly missed a rather sharp looking stalactite that hit just inches from his car.</p><p>“Shirako! The sound waves, they’re bringing down the stalactites!” Lani was practically screaming over the sound of his music. Even then, I was barely able to register what she was saying.</p><p>I really wished that the track would break off like it had in the Swamp realm.</p><p>“We got drones, Maniacs!”</p><p>Sure enough, as soon as Mark’s voice came through, two green and black cars were hot on our tail, but they were having about as much luck as we were. One of them misjudged the distance of the rock sticking up through the track and slammed right into it, exploding on impact. The other one managed to dodge but spun himself out doing so.</p><p>“Jeez, these guys are endless,” I muttered as three more drones took their place.</p><p>“On the bright side, we lost the stereo on wheels,” Porkchop said.</p><p>I had been too wrapped up in the chaos to notice, but we had pulled ahead of the pack. “Hey, Porkchop, I don’t suppose you have that anchor in here, do you?”</p><p>“Left it in the big rig,”</p><p>“Damn,”</p><p>The car suddenly jolted as a giant bat landed on top of the roof, its claws digging into the metal. It leaned its head down, trying to bite him through the open window but he dodged and punched it in its mouth. Using that as a distraction, I pulled my blade from under my shirt and pulled half of my body out of the window. It noticed me just as I reared back, slamming the metal into its neck. It screeched out in pain and released its grip on the car.</p><p>My gaze met Shirako’s as he pulled up behind us, two bats clinging to his car. I could faintly hear someone come through the radio before Shirako started blaring his music again. The sudden increase in volume made Porkchop serve, but he grabbed my legs and roughly pulled me back inside just as the side of the Jack Hammer skimmed one of the rocks.</p><p>I breathed out, offering him a grin. “Thanks,”</p><p>He laughed at the adrenaline rush, pushing the gas pedal to the floor. We went soaring through the portal, skidding to a stop back in the Acceledrome. An accelecharger materialized in front of him, glowing a chocolate brown.</p><p>Seconds later, Teku music filled the drome as Shirako skidded to a stop beside us.</p><p>I grabbed onto the accelecharger, feeling raw power surge through my hand.</p><p>“Hey, the race is over, turn it off!”</p><p>But Shirako was too enraptured by the music to hear anything that was said. Mumbling angrily, Porkchop pulled off and parked his car.</p><p>Dr. Tezla approached us. I couldn’t see his eyes behind those dark glasses of his, but I just had the feeling that he was very excited. “You got another accelecharger,”</p><p>I glanced at Porkchop, but he was too busy mumbling under his breath as he kicked a few loose tools lying on the ground. Hesitantly, I placed the charger in his open palm, watching him walk away without another word. I still didn’t trust that guy, and after feeling the power contained within the accelecharger, I didn’t trust him even more.</p><p>Who’s the say he isn’t the bad guy and the drones are just trying to stop him?</p><p>The line between good and evil was seriously being blurred here and it was driving me crazy. I needed a serious break.</p><p>Sliding into my car, I started the engine. It roared to life like an angry lion as I pressed on the gas, tires squealing from the sudden force. Taro yelled my name as he stepped out of his car, but I acted like I didn’t hear it and took off down the ramp leading out of the Acceledrome.</p><p>The speedometer rose as I pressed the gas pedal further to the bottom of the car. I was worried that someone would follow me and I just wanted to get away as soon as I could. Once I was out of the winding cliffs, I could disappear in the endless expanse of desert.</p><p>I’m not sure how long I drove for, but I finally came to a stop at a cliff overlooking the ocean. I stepped out of the car and approached the edge, feeling the wind blowing around my body. My arms raised on their own, spreading out like wings.</p><p>It felt so freeing like I could just fly away from all of my problems. As much as I hated to admit it, I knew it was just a fleeting emotion.</p><p>I fell back onto the dirt, my back resting against the front of my car. There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky that day. It was just a blank canvas of pale blue.</p><p>My hand clutched around my pendant as my eyes slid closed. <em>‘I wonder what you’d say if you were here, dad. Would you be proud of what your daughter has become? Would you be disappointed? Would you care at all?’</em></p><p>No, if he were here, I wouldn’t be where I am now. I’d probably be in prison, to be fair. The only reason I’m free now is because of Taro and Tork, but if dad hadn’t died, I never would have met them.</p><p>As much as I miss my dad, the thought of never meeting the Maniacs… that thought hurts worse. I love my dad, but we were never a family, we were just two people that shared the same blood.</p><p>“I wonder… how long will this last before it all comes crashing down?” I pulled my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. How long would it be before everyone learned the truth about me and turned their backs on me? Only Taro and Tork knew about my past, and even they don’t know the whole story. Granted, Taro knew more than leader did, but that’s only because I had a mini breakdown and couldn’t stop running my mouth.</p><p>Night descended upon me before I realized it, the temperature dropping drastically. Every time a gust of wind blew by me, my body would shake, but I had no desire to move. My legs and ass had fallen asleep, going numb against the hard ground.</p><p>A part of me wanted to stay there forever. It was peaceful, quiet, and didn’t ask bothersome questions. Would anyone come after me? Probably not. I had turned the radio off and disabled the GPS so they couldn’t find me.</p><p>The other part of me wanted to return to the safety of the Maniacs. They were rowdy and loud, and not the least bit subtle or gentle, but it felt safe with them. It felt warm. It felt… like home.</p><p>Pushing myself to my feet, I stretched to wake up the muscles that had long since fallen asleep. They started to tingle like they were being pricked which made me do this weird looking dance to get rid of the feeling.</p><p>Just as I opened the door of my Night Hawk, a pair of headlights blinded me. There’s no feckin’ way they found me…</p><p>The headlights turned off. That was definitely not a Maniac or a Teku.</p><p>The door lifted up and a man stepped out, dressed in a blue suit and tie. “We finally meet, Jae Wesley.”</p><p>“The hell are you?” I demanded, my hand automatically reaching for my blade.</p><p>He held up his hands and offered a smile. “Easy, there. I’m not your enemy.”</p><p>“Really? ‘Cause you damn sure look like one.”</p><p>“I knew your father,”</p><p>With those four words, it felt like the blood in my veins froze over.</p><hr/><p> </p>
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